Mechanism for making cigarettes



Aug. 13, 1929. .1. sl-:LBACH MECHANISM FOR MAKING CIGARETTES Filed April 6, 1927 INVENroR. JDHN SELBACH BY im ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES JOHN SELBACH, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

MECHANISM FOR MAKING CIGARETTES.

Application filed. April 6,

My invention relates to a mechanism for making cigarettes.

The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism for making cigarettes.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mechanism for making cigarettes and a compartment for certain utensils required in the process.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a convenient mechanism that may be carried inthe pocket.

P still further Qbject of my invention is toproyide .a mechanism in which cigarettes lofdifl'erent diameters may be made.

A vstill further object of my invention is to proyide in the mechanism a means to pareject the cigarettes when one or more iste' be removed. -Astill further object of my invention is to provide a sealing meansfor the top of the tube so that one or more cigarettes may'be made without interfering or allowing the tobacco to enter the remaining tubes.

These and other objects will hereinafter be more fully explained.

Referring to the drawings:

l is a perspective view of the mechanism7 parts removed for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the mechanism showing the dowel in one of the apertures and the position of the paper tubes.

Fig. 3 is ay longitudinal section transverse to that in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section illust-ratinfr the position of the cigarettes.

ig. 5 is an elevation of the dowel.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the followers.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the template.

The mechanism consistsof a rectangular housingr 1 having a compartment 2 in which are stored the dowels 3 and the book of cigarette papers 4. Adjacent the said coinpartment is another compartment in which is placed a member 5 the lower end of which is spaced from the bottom of the housing, the upper end of which is spaced a short distance from the top. The said member has a plurality of apertures G longitudinally eX- tending therethrough as a receptacle for the cigarettes hereinafter described.

Laterally extending on the upper end of the housing are flanges 7 functioning as a guide for a lid 8, the said lid having the 1927. Serial No. 181,444.

sides and one end turned back on itself forming channels to receive the flanges and slidably engaging thereon. The compartment 2 has a lid 9 hingedly connected to the partition between the said compartments and inclined upward to rest on the outer wall as at A, and functions to guide the tobacco toward the apertures when it is poured on the top of the apertures in the process of making cigarettes as hereinafter described.

lCentrally positioned on the lid is a tongue 10 functioning as a lift to open the lid when the papers and dowels are to be removed or replaced in their respective compartment. A plate 1l, positioned in a compartment below the member 5 has its edges in slidable engagement with the compartment wall and its ends, turned downward to a right angle as shown at B and to whichA arel rigidly connected studs 12, the said studs being threaded and extending through elongated slots lf3, by which means the said plate may be raised and lowered and rigidly attached at a desired position by the wing nuts 14 threadedly engaging on the said studs.

Loosely resting on the plane of the plate and carried thereby is a plurality of followers l5, the said followers being cylindrical to slidably engage in the lower ends of the apertures and having square heads as at C, the total end areas of which are equal to the area between the ends and the side walls of thel compartment containing the plate 11 so that the cylindrical portion of the followers is held in axial aligmnent with each of their respective apertures in the member 5. lVhen the plate 11 is dropped downward until the studs 12 rest in the lower end of the slots 13, the upper ends of the followers extend a short distance into their respective apertures thereby preventing contact of their ends with the member 5 during reciprocations of the plate. The purpose of the followers is that when the cigarettes have been made they may be ejected partially (as shown by dotted lines D) by raising the plate to the upper extremity of the slots 13.

In Fig. 5 is shown one of the dowels having a slot 16 longitudinally extending therein to near the top end as at E, the object of which is that when the cigarette paper 17 is wrapped thereon and sealed7 the dowel may be removed by pressing the sides together at the points FF above the end of the paper. Near the upper end of the dowel is placed a bevelled shoulder 18 adapted to engage snugly with.' the upper end of the aperture functioning 'as an expanding means for the top end of the paper when placed therein, by which means the tobacco is prevented from passing down the outside of the paper while it is being filled.

It will be understood that dowelsof different diameters are made to vary the size of cigarettes but the shoulder will be equal in diameter regardless of the diameter of the lower portion of the dowel thereby guarding the passage of the tobacco down the outside of the paper as formerly stated. It will further'be understood that the paper will not engage snugly with the wall of the aperture as shown in the sectional drawings as the tobacco is not packed or forced therein, but merely settled by jarring the mechanism as they are being filled,

Having fully described the mechanism I 'will now describe the process of making the cigarette:

The dowels 3 and book of papers 4 beingr stored as heretofore described are ready for use. The dowel and the book of papers are taken from their respective compartment then by wrapping one of the papers around the dowel loosely to prevent contracting the sides thereof, the edge thereof is moistened and sealed in the usual way. I then crimp the lower en'd of the paper together as shown at 19 in Figs. 2 and 4, next by placing the dowel with the paper Wrapped thereon in the aperture as shown in Fig. 2, and by pressing on the sides thereof as at FF the tension is relieved, and the dowel is drawn outwardleaving the papers in the aperture as shown at G in said ligure. Then by pouring finely shredded or broken tobacco on the top of the apertured member 5, the cigarette papers are filled as shown at 17 by gently jarring the mechanism. To remove one or all of the cigarettes thus made I loosen the wing nuts 14, and by pressing on the plate ll the cigarettes are moved upward as shown by dotted lines D in Fig. 4 at which position one or more may be removed and the others retracted by lowering the plate to its normal position. Then by tightening the said wing nuts the cigarettes are carefully carried undisturbed. As protecting and retaining means for the cigarettes', dowels and book of papers, the lid 8 is placed on the housing.

lVhen one cigarette is being made at a time I place a template 20 over one end of the series of apertures, and the said plate having one corner removed therefrom as at 21 allowing access to the aperture in the corner, then by sliding the template from the end to a distance of the space of one aperture, three apertures are exposed, two

of which are at the end, and the other adjacent the corner aperture. By this means tobacco may be poured into the one or the three apertures as the case may be, without pouring the tobacco into the adjacent apertures. The said template ma); also be carried in the compartment with the dowels and book of papers. It will further be understood that the lid S may function as an ash tray when inverted as there are times when such conveniences are not available.

By this process cigarettes may be made of a uniform size using the consumers favorite tobacco. rIhe cigarettes may also be manufactured by this process and placed in packages eliminating the necessity of carrying the mechanism continuously for the purpose of making cigarettes as consumed.

Such modifications may be employed as lie within the scop'eof the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. In a mechanism for making cigarettes, a mechanism of the kind described, comprising a housing and an apertured member positioned in the housing and spaced from one side, a plate positioned in the lower end of the housing and spaced from the apertured member, the plate adapted to move to and from the end of said member, and means for rigidly attaching the plate, a plurality of followers carried by the plate and means to axially align each of said followers with their respective apertures in said member, a lidhingedly connected and slantingly positioned as an enclosure for the top of the unoccupied space in the housing adjacent the apertured member, and a lid slidably engaging on the upper end of the housing.

2. In a mechanism for making cigarettes, a mechanism of the kind described, a housing having a compartment as storage means for cigarette papers, and dowels as forming means for cigarette papers, a member having a plurality of apertures longitudinally extending therethrough positioned snugly in another compartment, the apertures adapted to receive the cigarette papers slidably engaging therein, a follower positioned in axial alignment with each of the apertures and being positioned at the lower ends thereof, and means to raise the followers simultaneously as protruding means for the opposite ends of the cigarettes from their respective apertures, a lid slidably engaging on the end of the housing as closing means for both compartments, all as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I atx my signature.

JOHN SELBACH. 

